'Out of Africa' - Karen Blixen
A Discerning Reader’s Guide
When the movie of Out of Africa screened in the 1980s I, like so many others, fell in love with Robert Redford and Meryl Streep and the fabulous scenery of Africa. The film showed flocks of pink flamingos rising into the air, magnificent maned lions prowling across the grasslands, giraffe (“gentle amblers of the great plains”) loping along with easy elegance, and spectacular flights over the hills.
I find Out of Africa a beautiful book, written with such skill in English by a woman for whom English was not a first language, written with insight and sadness. It is an elegy for a way of life now gone, a statement of mourning for a landscape that entered her very soul and moved her deeply. Karen Blixen was never really ‘out’ of Africa again. This book is a testament to its power and her longings.
“I had a farm in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills. The Equator runs across these highlands, a hundred miles to the north, and the farm lay at an altitude of over six thousand feet. In the day-time you felt that you had got high up; near to the sun, but the early mornings and evenings were limpid and restful, and the nights were cold.”
― Karen Blixen, Out of Africa
I had not read the book when I watched the film, so rushed out to get a copy. Soon I fell in love with Blixen’s lyrical prose. How can you not love an author who writes: The Natives “were quick to understand that meaning in poetry is of no consequence, and they did not question the thesis of the verse, but waited eagerly for the rhyme, and laughed at it when it came … As they had become used to the idea of poetry, they begged: ‘Speak again. Speak like rain.’ Why they should feel verse to be like rain I do not know. It must have been, however, an expression of applause, since in Africa rain is always longed for and welcomed.” How much of the character of the Kenyans, and also of herself, she captures in that passage!
I find Out of Africa a beautiful book, written with such skill in English by a woman for whom English was not a first language, written with insight and sadness. It is an elegy for a way of life now gone, a statement of mourning for a landscape that entered her very soul and moved her deeply. Karen Blixen was never really ‘out’ of Africa again. This book is a testament to its power and her longings.
At just $5 this Literary Reader’s Guide is a real treat! In this 24-page guide, Susannah reveals intriguing stories about the author to help understand what prompted the book to be written. She identifies the main characters and their roles, analyses the themes behind the story, and describes the influence that the era, lifestyle and circumstances have on the book’s setting. Included are 8 thought-provoking discussion points, perfect for books clubs or just to get you thinking a bit harder yourself. Buy it now and receive a link to download your guide by return email.
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Just $5. Buy it now – you’ll receive access details by return email.
Is this book a memoir, a novel, a travel book, an historical account of a way of life that has vanished, or a mixture of all of these things? My reader’s guide will help you learn more about Karen Blixen’s life and her writing, the themes, styles and characters in the book.
Truman Capote declared this book to be “one of the most beautiful books of the 20thC”. Do you agree? Did you think the film version did the book justice? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below. I always love to hear what you think.
Links for where to buy the books in print, ebook or audio will be listed here before the talk. Find the books on my recommended reading list, watch a movie version, enjoy related videos, websites and much more. Have anything to add here? Let me know.
PURCHASE
Out of Africa & Shadows on the Grass by Isak Dinesen / Karen Blixen
Anecdotes of Destiny by Isak Dinesen / Karen Blixen
Isak Dinesen: The Life of Karen Blixen by Judith Thurman
West with the Night by Beryl Markham
DOWNLOAD
Some free versions are better than others, please feel free to try these, but I cannot guarantee the quality.
Out Of Africa by Karen Blixen
Free downloadable version in various formats including Kindle, epub, pdf and others. If you are unsure of how to add these files to your ereader, look here.
MOVIES & VIDEOS
Out Of Africa by Isak Dinesen / Karen Blixen, 1986 Sydney Pollack MOVIE ADAPTATION – high definition rental on YouTube movies
Meryl Streep – Out of Africa Interview (1997)
LINKS
Susannah Fullerton: Karen Blixen is born
Susannah Fullerton: Karen Dinesen marries Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke
Susannah Fullerton: Rungstedlund, Denmark
Susannah Fullerton: Karen Blixen dies
Susannah Fullerton: Literary Scandinavia
Susannah Fullerton: Literary Tour of Scandinavia
Susannah Fullerton: Writers On The Money
Susannah Fullerton: Literary Travels
Karen Blixen Museum, Rungsted
Karen Blixen Museum, Kenya